Your Blogging Coach

How To Become A Freelance Writer Online

Are you interested in making money online as a freelance writer? Can you write articles with the length of 500 to 1,000 words? Here’s how to become a freelance writer online.

In this post, I’m going to share with you tips on how you can get started as a freelance writer online. This strategy isn’t for complete beginners. I mean, I won’t be giving here instructions on how to write your very first article but rather, steps you can take to get clients and make money.

If learning how to write your very first article is what interests you, then there’s Google out there. You can simply make a Google search using keywords “how to write an article”.

This strategy that I am going to share with you isn’t for total beginners, but not for the advanced as well. Maybe, just for those starting out with a little experience writing online, and wanting to make more money as a writer online.

First and Foremost, Understand Your Work!

Although you can get started in this type of work as a part-time worker, those who get the maximum benefits are the full-time workers. Those people who work from home, working in their own hours.

But I am not discouraging you, as I also see part-time workers who are working day-time jobs doing well in freelance writing online. Maybe, it’s just a matter of skill… how you are going to insert the new job to your already busy schedule.

If you to learn more how to manage your time effectively, maybe you should check Stephen Covey’s First Things First. It’s the one I recommend for learning effective time management.

Now, going back to the topic of freelance writing online, or becoming a freelance writer online, let me aware you that this job isn’t easy either. If you find your existing job hard and you’re looking for an easy way out, it is not ideal to think of this as your quick fix.

Being new to this type of work, chances are nobody knows you very well. Nobody knows who you are, and what you can do. Promoting yourself as a good freelance writer online, can be a tough challenge for beginners.

So, that’s exactly what this article is for.

What You Need To Do (7 Steps)

Let me share to you these 7 steps on how to become a freelance writer online. These will help you get started in establishing your name online, which can lead to more opportunities, and of course, more money!

First, write a sample article to show to your prospective clients. Make sure it’s the best that you can do. Spend time perfecting it and make sure it’s grammatically correct.

Go over to online forums where you think there are people needing your work, like for example Warrior Forum. Post an advertisement called WSO (Warrior Special Offer), and offer a really attractive rate to get people to try you out. Include a sample of your work, so people can see that you write to a decent standard. This would help you get your initial clients.

Get testimonials from your clients. If they’re happy with their requested work, they’d be more willing to give you good testimonials.

Relist your ad (your WSO). This time, include those testimonials you got from your initial clients.

Follow up with your existing clients. After a few weeks, send follow-up emails to your previous clients asking if they have any work for you. Most customers will always be in need of content and will have plenty of work for you.

Set yourself up with a website. Have your own website. In your website, give plenty of samples, and details about yourself and your initial experience.

Rinse and repeat. Every time you do this strategy, you will be gaining new clients as well as establishing relationship with your existing ones. Over time, you will find your reputation building up, so that would be great, assuming of course that you produce good quality work. You can charge higher, as time goes by.

I personally know people who are making a living out of this work and strategy.

Now…

Step #6, Have Your Own Website

You may be wondering, “Why do I need to have my own website when all I want is make money as a freelance writer?”

Well, as I have said earlier, establishing your name as a freelance writer online can sometimes be difficult. It’s not easy, especially in today’s tough competition among writers.

If a resume or curriculum vitae is required when applying for a job, your own website is the equivalent of that “resume” in the online business world. And not only that, having your own website opens you to countless more possibilities.

You can use your website to let others know more about you and the services you offer, plus it can be used for generating extra income. Writers who have become popular in their fields, monetize their website traffic by selling ads on the sides, and through sales of recommended books, tools and services.

For as low as $10 pear year, and then $3 per month, you can have a wordpress website of your own with hosts like BlueHost or Hostgator. But this one, is the one I recommend… Click here.

The point is, a freelance writer with own website is way ahead of a freelance writer without one.

An Opportunity To Earn More

Another reason why I am encouraging you to start with a website is, I’m opening you a new window of opportunity wherein you can make more money, more than the highest paid freelance writer out there are making.

“Profits are better than wages.”

These are the words of America’s foremost business philosopher, Jim Rohn. He’s long gone, but these words from, work very well up to this day. And it’s one of my guiding principles why I love entrepreneurship over working for someone else.

As you progress with your career as a freelance writer online, you will notice that your income is directly proportional to the amount of work you’re putting in. This means, if you stop working, your income will also stop.

The idea that I’m trying to bring out here, is I wanna see you this in the lens of being a business owner. Businessman, rather than a “get paid to work this and that”.

Writing for someone else, like a client, can earn you good money. But did you know that you can earn more by writing for yourself in your own website?

You write articles reviewing something, like a product or service. When people decide to buy the product you’ve reviewed and you’ve included your affiliate link for that product, you’ll earn commissions.

And every time someone uses that link and buys that product, you’ll earn. That’s getting paid over and over again from your work done only once. (You write the article and publish it to your website only once, right?)

So, think about it.

Conclusion

How to become a freelance writer online? It’s simple yet not easy.

Just follow my suggestions, the 7 steps, and then have your own website. It is really important to have your own website these days, for establishing your name and for earning multiple streams of income online.

Either way you go, the freelance writer route, the blogger route, or both… be the best that you can be. Give your best shot and earn the money you deserve to earn.

2 Comments

Nice article with a lot of good information. As someone who likes to write, but has never done it professionally, what is the going rate for articles or blog posts? I assume that the better writer you are, the more you can charge, but is there an average amount paid for say a 1000 word blog post? I have also seen some content sites that advertise for writers, are they legitimate? Thanks for your help.
David